Partial message delivery and status notification in an end-to-end secure messaging context

Abstract

A system and method for determining and providing updates of message status for a message sent from a sender mobile device to a recipient mobile device includes a provider system configured to transmit notifications of messages to a recipient device using a push notification service in addition to transmitting the message to the recipient device over a distinct communication path. When a message is received from a sending device, the provider system initiates a push notification, which may be routed through a third-party service, and based on that push notification sends an initial notification of delivery to the sending device. When the recipient device acknowledges successful receipt and processing of the message, the provider system transmits a final delivery notification to the sending device. The use of the push notification service may be based on a determination of a current state of a receiving application executing on the recipient device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 at least one network communications interface; and 
 at least one processor configured to:
 receive, using the at least one communications interface, from a sending mobile communication device, a message for transmission to a receiving mobile communication device provisioned with a data consuming application; 
 determine, based on a current state of the data consuming application on the receiving mobile communication device, whether to send a push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device; 
 on determining that the push notification is to be sent to the receiving mobile communication device:
 cause transmission of the push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device; 
 transmit, using the at least one communications interface, an initial delivery notification to the sending mobile communication device; 
 
 transmit, using the at least one communications interface, the message to the receiving mobile communication device; 
 receive, using the at least one communications interface, from the receiving mobile communication device, a confirmation that the message was successfully received; 
 after receiving the confirmation, transmit, using the at least one communications interface, a final delivery notification to the sending mobile communication device. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 receive an indicator of a current state of the data consuming application from the data consuming application while it is executing on the receiving mobile communication device; and 
 store the indicator in association with an identifier for receiving mobile communication device, and 
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether to send the push notification to the receiving mobile communication device based on the indicator of the current state. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the indicator of the current state periodically while the data consuming application is executing in the foreground on the receiving mobile communication device. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data consuming application is a messaging application and the provider server system is a messaging server system. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause transmission of the push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device by transmitting, to a notification server system, an instruction to transmit the push notification to the receiving mobile communication device. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the notification server system is remote from the provider server system, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit the message to the receiving mobile communication device without routing the message via the notification server system. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein transmission of the push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device and transmission of the message to the receiving mobile communication device occur over distinct communication paths through a data communication network. 
     
     
       8. A method implemented at a provider server system, comprising:
 receiving, from a sending mobile communication device, a message for transmission to a receiving mobile communication device provisioned with a data consuming application; 
 determining, based on a current state of the data consuming application on the receiving mobile communication device, whether to send a push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device; 
 on determining that the push notification is to be sent to the receiving mobile communication device:
 causing transmission of the push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device; 
 transmitting an initial delivery notification to the sending mobile communication device; 
 
 transmitting the message to the receiving mobile communication device; 
 receiving, from the receiving mobile communication device, a confirmation that the message was successfully received;
 after receiving the confirmation, transmitting a final delivery notification to the sending mobile communication device. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving an indicator of a current state of the data consuming application from the data consuming application while it is executing on the receiving mobile communication device; and 
 storing the indicator in association with an identifier for receiving mobile communication device, and 
 wherein determining whether to send the push notification to the receiving mobile communication device comprises checking the indicator of the current state. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein receiving the indicator of the current state occurs periodically while the data consuming application is executing in the foreground on the receiving mobile communication device. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the data consuming application is a messaging application and the provider server system is a messaging server system. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein causing transmission of the push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device comprises transmitting, to a notification server system, an instruction to transmit the push notification to the receiving mobile communication device. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the notification server system is remote from the provider server system, and wherein transmitting the message to the receiving mobile communication device occurs without routing the message via the notification server system. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein transmission of the push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device and transmitting the message to the receiving mobile communication device occur over distinct communication paths through a data communication network. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer readable medium bearing code which, when executed by one or more processors of a server system configures the server system to:
 receive, using at least one communications interface, from a sending mobile communication device, a message for transmission to a receiving mobile communication device provisioned with a data consuming application; 
 determine, based on a current state of the data consuming application on the receiving mobile communication device, whether to send a push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device; 
 on determining that the push notification is to be sent to the receiving mobile communication device:
 cause transmission of the push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device; 
 transmit, using the at least one communications interface, an initial delivery notification to the sending mobile communication device; 
 
 transmit, using the at least one communications interface, the message to the receiving mobile communication device; 
 receive, using the at least one communications interface, from the receiving mobile communication device, a confirmation that the message was successfully received; 
 after receiving the confirmation, transmit, using the at least one communications interface, a final delivery notification to the sending mobile communication device. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the server system is further configured to:
 receive an indicator of a current state of the data consuming application from the data consuming application while it is executing on the receiving mobile communication device; and 
 store the indicator in association with an identifier for receiving mobile communication device, and 
 wherein the server system is configured to whether to send the push notification to the receiving mobile communication device comprises checking the indicator of the current state. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the server system is configured to receive the indicator of the current state periodically while the data consuming application is executing in the foreground on the receiving mobile communication device. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the data consuming application is a messaging application and the provider server system is a messaging server system. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the server system is configured to cause transmission of the push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device by transmitting, to a notification server system, an instruction to transmit the push notification to the receiving mobile communication device. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein transmission of the push notification of the message to the receiving mobile communication device and transmitting the message to the receiving mobile communication device occur over distinct communication paths through a data communication network.